Rated R for Disney+

It seems like every time Disney is mentioned nowadays, it’s either with disgust or frustration. And it’s not, honestly, unwarranted. The past few weeks have demonstrated that with Mulan and Black Widow costing extra on Disney+ to compensate for no theatre runs, as well as ceasing 4K Blu-Rays of future releases. Still, every once-in-a-while you have to acknowledge the positive developments. 

                    

Ever since Disney+ launched, there’s been a concern that their more mature catalogue, like the films from 20th Century Fox and Touchstone Pictures, would never would never see the light. Disney’s a family-friendly company, so they wouldn’t want their reputation tarnished over violence or T&A. However, that they’ve been sitting on this potential market is troubling. Don’t adults pay for Disney+? Shouldn’t they be entitled to something?

According to recent rumours, there’s a chance they might be remedying that in the near-future. Going by Google News’s feed, Disney+ could be launching an adult-only section soon. Said section would be accessible via a pin, but it’d allow the service to show unedited versions of movies deemed “too adult”. Cue the fanfare!

While this is great for adult fans, and would quell complaints of their focus being too narrow, I have some concerns. Two, to be exact. And I know Hulu was part of the Disney-Fox deal in 2017, hence Disney could technically use it instead, but Hulu’s only available in The US and Japan right now so I’m not including that. Plus, how much can Hulu be relied on as a workaround, especially when Disney+ is where the money lies? 

My first concern involves the timing. It feels…late, to put it lightly. Disney acquired Fox in 2017, with an approved purchase by congress in 2018. They’ve also had Touchstone Pictures since the 80’s. Not acting on this earlier is a missed opportunity. And acting on this now, following a heap of criticism from adult fans, feels suspicious.

I wouldn’t be so skeptical if Disney didn’t constantly trip over their own feet in order to do family-friendly damage control. That’s what happened with Splash on Disney+, which edited out any sexually-suggestive content that, by most standards, was still pretty tame. They also, apparently, did a poor job, with edits looking really noticeable. An adult-only section of Disney+ would be a great workaround, but at what cost? Forgive me for being paranoid, but would there be two versions of Splash in the end, with the edited version and unedited version being in separate sections?

My other concern, and this is the more-weighty one, is if this’d cost extra, or up the price of the service. I’m not sure I’d be happy with paying more for something that, honestly, should’ve been there at launch. It’s bad enough that I already have to pay an additional premium for Mulan and Black Widow, even though they’d be permanently accessible afterward. So charging more money for an adult-only section would be excessive. 

I’m sure Disney knows more than me on this. They’re a company run by people who’ve been in the game for a while. Even when they make “bad decisions”, they still know more about running a business than I do. I’m sure the execs were discussing an adult-only section on Disney+ long before anyone else. I’m also sure they realize the consequences either way.

Like with everything, this could also potentially backfire. Disney+ could end up with the adult-only section not working properly. Or it could be underwhelming and let everyone down. Or it could lead to backlash from traditionalist groups who claim that “Disney’s corrupting our youth”. Considering how crazy the world is, none of those possibilities should be off the table.

But I digress. While this feels like a late addition that could be exploited financially, I’m happy that it’s even being considered. I’m even more happy that it’d let me watch an unedited version of Splash, or something more “provocative”. Disney gets flak for not taking enough risks. They’re chastised for being “safe” and “pandering”, with minimal room for growth. And the whenever they try something new and different, they’re met with backlash for that too. I don’t envy them, and having an adult-only section seems like a nice compromise. 

There’s also a lot of legitimate criticism to throw at Disney lately: their treatment of James Gunn. Their self-winking in many of their films. Their shady purchase of 20th Century Fox, and the mass-layoffs as a result. Their decision to reopen their parks in the middle of a pandemic. Their live-action remakes lacking creativity. Their cruise line skirting American tax laws. Even their decision to stronghold theatre chains into playing movies that don’t perform well at the box-office. But making an adult-only section on their own streaming platform is great, especially if it means seeing classics deemed too avant-garde for family-friendly audiences.

Besides, if this doesn’t end up happening, or if it doesn’t work out, then I’m sure Disney will never hear the end of it. We’ll probably know more in the next little while.